Rotor brake suspension arrangement



Dec. 3, 1957 W. R. POLANIN ROTOR BRAKE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENT Dec. 3,1957 w. R. PoLANlN 2,815,095

ROTOR BRAKE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENT i Filed Oct. 29. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet2 @g QQ.

United States Patent O ROTOR BRAKE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENT Walter R.Polanin, Chicago, Ill., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago,lll., a corporation of New ersey Application October 29, 1953, SerialNo. 389,042

8 Claims. (Cl. 18S-59) The invention relates to a brake arrangement fora railway car truck and more particularly to that type of brake known inthe art as a rotor or off-wheel brake.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a novel rotor brakefor a railway car truck and particularly to provide a novel suspensionmeans therefor.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a noveladjustable suspension for said rotor brake whereby the brake as a unitmay be set in perfect alignment with the associated rotor and adjustmentmay be made to accommodate any change in the relative position of thewheel and axle assembly and supported brake carrying frame.

It is a further object of the invention to suspend the rotor brake unitfrom the end transom of the associated frame thereby providing easyaccess for repair and adjustment.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent in thecourse of the following description and from an examination of theconcerned drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of one-half of a railway car truckembodying the important features of the invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the structure shownin Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the novel brake arrangement,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating a modifiedform of the invention, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating anothermodified form of the invention.

Describing the invention in detail, the truck comprises spaced wheel andaxle assemblies indicated generally at 2. Each assembly consists of anaxle 4 having aliixed thereto in a conventional manner the wheels 6.Inboardly of each wheel 6 the assembly mounts a rotor 8, said rotorbeing secured to the related assembly 2 in any convenient manner such asby the bolts 10, whereby the rotor 8 will rotate with said assembly 2. Atruck frame 12 is resiliently supported (not shown) from the wheel andaxle assemblies 2, as is well understood by those skilled in the art.The frame 12 comprises side rails 14 interconnected at spaced pointsintermediate the ends thereof by the transverse members 16, 16. At theopposite ends of the side rails 14 transverse members or end rails 18are disposed to interconnect said side rails. Each end rail 18 isdisposed outboardly of the related wheel and axle assembly 2.

In the preferred form of the invention a bracket 20 is positioned oneach end rail 18 in an area immediately adjacent the related rotor 8.The bracket 20 may be rigidly secured to the end rail 18 in anyconvenient mauner such as by the bolts 22. The bracket 20 comprises ahorizontal plate 24 which extends inboardly of the end rail 18 andpresents on the lower side thereof the depending lugs 26, 26.Additionally, the bracket 20 comprises a vertical plate 28 extendingoutboardly of the end rail 2,815,095 Patented Dec. 3, 1957 ICC 18 andpresenting on opposite sides thereof the bosses 30, 30, said bossesbeing located approximately centrally of the vertical plate 28. A brakemechanism, indicated generally at 32 comprises a housing 34, saidhousing having brake levers 36, 36 projecting from one side thereof insuch a manner as to embrace the adjacent rotor 8. On the inboardextremities of the brake levers 36 head-brake shoe assemblies 40 arepivotally carried, said assemblies being engageable with opposite facesof the rotor 8 upon actuation of the brake levers 36, as is wellunderstood by those skilled in the art. The brake levers 36 arepivotally carried in the housing in the conventional manner (not shown)and engage therein an actuating cylinder (not shown) which causes thebrake levers to pivot upon actuation thereof, whereby the assemblies 40,40 are urged to clasp the rotor 8 and frictionally decelerate the truck.

A shoe controlling device 42 is provided for each assembly 40. Eachdevice 42 comprises lugs 44 rigidly secured to the assemblies 40 andextending rearwardly therefrom. A link 46 is pivotally attached as.` at48 to the lugs 44. The link 46 extends rearwardly to a point 50 whereateach link is pivotally attached to the housing 34. Thus upon actuationof the brake levers 36 the devices 42 maintain the assemblies 40 inparalleled relation to the adjacent surface of the rotor 8 during allpivotal movements of the brake levers 36.

A two point suspension is provided between the brake mechanism 32 andthe bracket 20. The two point suspension comprises in the preferredembodiment a lug 60 rigidly connected to and extending upwardly from acentral portion of the housing 34 at the inboard end of said housing.Said lug 60 is loosely received between the depending lugs 26 of thebracket 20 and is pivotally attached thereto by means of a pin 62.l Onthe outboard end of the bracket 20 an adjustable arm indicated generallyat 64 is provided having its upper extremity pivotally attached to theextremity of the vertical plate 28 as at 66. It should be noted that thearm 64 presents spaced lugs 68, 68 which loosely receive the verticalplate 28 thereby providing lateral flexibility in the pivotal connection66. The lower extremity of the adjustable arm 64 is pivotally attachedas at 70 to spaced lugs 72 which extend rearwardly from and are rigidlyattached to the rear extremity of the housing 34. The adjustable arm 64comprises threadably interconnected members, one of which is providedWith a conventional hex head 76 whereby upon rotation of the head 76 thelength of the adjustable arm 64 may be Varied. The detailed constructionof the adjustable arm 76 is disclosed in the copending application ofWilliam l. Casey, III, Serial No. 300,941, led July 25, 1952. A lock 78is provided to prevent accidental rotation of the hex 76.

The housing 34 is additionally provided with upstanding arms 80, 80,said arms being rigidly secured. to opposite sides of said housing. Theupper extremities of the arms 80 are disposed to embrace in spacedrelation the bosses 30, 30 formed on the vertical plate 28. A pin 82connects the bosses 3l) to the arms 80 by being; disposed in alignedapertures in said bosses and arms, respectively. It should be noted thatthe apertures 814 in the arms 80 which receive said pin 82 are ofelongated or slot formation thus providing a limited verticallyadjustable connection between the arms 80 and the bracket 20. Referringto Figure l, it will be seen that ilexible members such as coiledsprings 88, 88 are positioned to surround the pin 82 and disposedintermediate each arm 80 and the related boss 30 of the bracket 20. Thesprings 8S add resiliency to the suspension and accommodate flexiblerelative lateral movement between the brake mechanism 32 and thesupporting frame 12 during such timessaswhenthe ...brake assembliesi()4are `engaged with.,

the rotor 8.

Attention is now directed to`Figure 4 wherein a sllghtly different iarrangement-r` of the two point`` suspension", is

employed'. Itlwill'befnoted that the ladjustable"'armf-Gflvagain:connects .'itherear.y extremity of thebracket20ifand thenreanextremity,offjthe housing -32J.f':.However, the armsl 80 arepivotallytconnectedltothe bracket- 20',"as at 90l centrally ofl saidbracket, whilea-lug1-92lfis provided with ailimiting` pin-and slotconneotionftotheinboard end .ofthe bracket-as at 94':

In the further embodiment villustratedin Figure 5, the bracket` 20 istof .slightly differentformationand alords'a pivotal connection asat-96:between=the loutboard extremi- Thus itzwill be seenthattheinvention provides a novelly two lpoint `suspension of a rotortbrakemechanism from thewheelandV axle assembly supportedframe of arrailwaycar truck, said Vnovel suspension providing for easy `adjustment .of themechanism relative to the yengaged rof tor to. accommodate varyingvertical positions between` the brake mechanism supporting frame andtherotor carryingwheel `and axle assembly.y It will further by understoodthat the preferred embodiment in the invention suspends -the brakemechanismfrom the end rails of there-` siliently supported frame therebyproviding easy accessrV tosthe mechanism for adjustment and servicing.However, the ,mechanism could be suspended in a similar manner from anyconvenient transverse member of the resiliently supported frame.

I claim:

l-. Ina rotor brake suspension arrangement for a railway car truckincluding at least one wheel and axle assembly. witha rotor thereon andatruck frame supported on said assembly, the combination of: a brakemounting bracketrigidly secured to the frame adjacent said rotor, 'abrake mechanism depending from said bracket and including a housing anda pair of brake lever-shoe assemblies'fulcrumed tothe housing andengageable with opposite sides ofthe rotor, said housing being disposedbelow said bracket and presenting a pair of elements spaced from eachother longitudinally of the bracket and pivotally connected to thehousing on parallel transverse axes, one of said elementsbeing adaptedto accommodate the adjustment of the vertical position of the housingrelative to the bracket, a pair of upstanding arms on the housingmovably connected to the bracket, said arms being spaced transversely ofthe housing from each other to afford lateral movement for the housingrelative to the .bracket and resilient means to resist such lateralmovement.

2.. A brake arrangement according to claim 1, in which said adjustmentelement is connected to the end of 4the housing remote from the rotor.

3. A brake arrangement according to claim l, inv which the adjustmentelement is connected to the end of the housing adjacent the rotor.

4. A brake arrangement according to claim 1, in which the movableconnection is positioned 'between said elements.

5. In a rotor brake arrangement for a railway car truck havinggafrarnetsupportedY uponiwheel` and axleassem-tY blies, a rotor associatedwith, a wheel and axle assembly and rotatable therewith, a brakemounting bracket secured to said frame, a brake mechanism depending fromsaid bracket, said brake mechanism comprising a housing pivotallyconnected to saidtbracket and brake lever-shoe assemblies supported onand projecting from said housing to fricti'onallyv engage oppositeAsidesr of said-rotor, the

pivotal connectionsbetween thehousing and. the bracketv including apair`.ofielements 'onlthefhousing spaced' 1ongitudinally from each otherand pivotally connectedI to the bracket on parallel axes extendingtransversely of the housing; a -pair of pstandingf arms on-they housingmovably connected to the 'bracket-.and,spacedetransversely of thehousing from each other to afford limited lateral movement of thehousing relative to the bracket, and means yieldably resisting lateralmovement of the housing.

6. In abrakearrangementffon alvehiclehavingfat least one wheelandaxle'fassem'blyiwithfa pair offaxiallj'ffspacedrotatable-frictionisurfacesand a frame supported on said assembly,ithefcombinationrofzfa brake structure depending .from thesirame andincluding f a pair of *brake lmeans t fulcrumedftheretof:and:disposed-Stor engagement lwith the respective frictionasurfaees,y fand'means to pivotally fconnectrthe brake structureritoftheiframeonizapairof parallel axesrspacedfrom .eachoth'er-longitudinally ofthestructure-,',saidrneans including means lto adjust the lverticalpositioni zofitthe structures-relative' toVV the tframe, and- 'means tovlimit p rotation :sofa: the structure:r :about Lits longitudinal axis.

7.'y Aubrake arrangement according rtozclaimv, wherein said: :last:mentioned-means: includes a. .pai'rf` on.'y upstanding 'arms .outthe-,f'bnake structure,1 Adisposed'intermediate said pivotal connectionsand spaced from each other transversely', off,y the structure. 1toraford limited transversemovement of the fstruotureasaiduarmsbeingrnonrigidlje connectedl to the frame:-

8. .In fafbrake arrangement forfarailroad can truckzhaving a4truck-framevand Vbrake rotor, a bracket mem-ber: for attachment to atruck frame, a brake mechanism :depending from said bracket member:y andcomprising a housing member, a pair of pivot means spacedlongitudinallyiof .1

the housing member from each other and interconnecting the bracketmember and housing member on parallel axes extending transversely of thehousing member, brake levershoe assemblies projecting from said housingmember t0 frictionally engage opposite sides of the rotor, an adjustmentarm interconnectingsaid bracket and housing members and coacting withsaid pivot means to vertically adjust the housing member relative to thebracket member, and means accommodating limited lateral movement Of thehousingmember'relative to the bracket member,

said means comprisingk=abutment arms spacedfrom each other transverselyof the Vhousing member, said armsbeing rigidly secured toone of saidmembers and movably securedtto the other of said members, and resilientmeans interposed between lthe bracket member and the abutment arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES` PATENTS2,343,342 Tack Mar. 7, 1944 2,359,761 Helsten Oct. l0, 1944 2,377,190Tack May 29, v1945 2,423,055 Tarbox June 24, 1947 2,627,322 Tack Feb. 3,1953 2,655,226 Tack et al Oct. 13, 1953

